Ingredients
Agar jelly
- 1 litrewater
- 10 gagar agar powder
- 80 gcaster sugar
- green food colouring, or pandan extract
Sago
- 100 gsmall sago pearls
- water, for boiling
Sticky rice
- 150 gglutinous rice, soaked
- 150 mlcoconut milk
- 1 tbspsugar
- a pinch of salt
Coconut milk base
- 800 mlthick coconut milk
- 150 gcaster sugar
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 1 tspvanilla, if wanted
To finish
- 4thick slices of white bread, cut in cubes
- plenty of crushed ice
- a scoop of coconut ice cream, if wanted
To serve
- in tall glasses or bowls
Directions
- Whisk the agar powder into the cold water in a pan. Let it stand for ten minutes to hydrate. Bring it to the boil, whisking constantly. It must boil for two full minutes to activate. Add the sugar and the colouring. Pour it out into a shallow tray.
- Let it set at room temperature, which takes about thirty minutes. Do not refrigerate it to speed it up, which can make it crack. Cut it into small cubes once firm. Cooking the sago is done separately. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. There should be far more water than pearls.
- Add the sago and stir immediately. Simmer them for about ten minutes. Turn the heat off and let them sit covered for five minutes. Drain them and rinse them under cold water. Rinsing stops them clumping into a solid mass.
- Soak the glutinous rice for at least four hours. Drain it and steam it for twenty-five minutes. Mix the coconut milk with the sugar and salt. Stir it through the hot steamed rice. Let it stand for twenty minutes to absorb. Let the sticky rice cool completely. Put the coconut milk, sugar and salt in a pan.
- Heat it gently until the sugar dissolves. Do not let it boil, since coconut milk splits. Take it off the heat and let it cool. Refrigerate the coconut base for at least two hours. Chill the jelly, sago and rice as well. This is a cold dessert and everything must be properly cold.
- Use plain white sandwich bread. Cut it into cubes of about two centimetres. Leave the crusts on or cut them off as you prefer. Do not toast the bread at all. Cut it just before serving, since it goes stale quickly. Assembling it is done in layers.
- Put a spoonful of sticky rice in the bottom of each glass. Add a spoonful of the cooked sago. Add a handful of the jelly cubes. Add the bread cubes to the glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice.
- Pour the cold coconut milk over the whole thing. Serving it must be entirely immediate. Add a scoop of coconut ice cream on top if you want. Serve it with a long spoon and a straw. The bread should still have some structure when you eat it.
Technique
- Agar must boil for two full minutes or it will not set at all.
- Rinse the cooked sago, since unrinsed pearls clump into a solid mass.
- The bread cubes are standard rather than a mistake, and are cut at the last moment.
Substitutions
- Tapioca pearls in place of sago.
- Pandan extract in place of green colouring.
Variations
- With a scoop of coconut ice cream on top.
- With tapioca jelly cubes as well.
- Made without bread, which some stalls do.
History
Coconut-milk dessert with agar jelly, sago and bread over ice, sold in the hot season before Thingyan, the water festival.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shwe Yin Aye?
Shwe Yin Aye is a dessert from Myanmar: coconut milk dessert with sago, jelly and bread over ice. Coconut-milk dessert with agar jelly, sago and bread over ice, sold in the hot season before Thingyan, the water festival.
How long does Shwe Yin Aye take to make?
Shwe Yin Aye takes 40 min plus 2 hours chilling of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Shwe Yin Aye?
Yes, within limits. Tapioca pearls in place of sago. Pandan extract in place of green colouring.
What is the most important thing to get right in Shwe Yin Aye?
Whisk the agar powder into the cold water in a pan. Let it stand for ten minutes to hydrate. Bring it to the boil, whisking constantly. It must boil for two full minutes to activate. Add the sugar and the colouring. Pour it out into a shallow tray.
